Clasp ornament



. May24,1938. R. MA.N'TZ 2,118,411

CLASP ORNAMENT Filed Dec. 50, 19:57

, INVENTOR Roberl Man ZZ ATTOSflEYS Patented May 24, 1938 ATENT OFFICE CLASP ORNAMENT Robert Mantz,

New York, N. Y.

Application December 30, 1937, Serial No. 182,387

2 Claims.

My present invention relates to dress ornaments, and has particular reference to a new and improved type of clasp ornament.

While I have disclosed my invention as applied to a clasp ornament, it is to be understood that as to certain phases thereof it is not. necessarily restricted to such application.

It is among the general objects of my invention to provide, in a dress ornament of the clasp type, novel means for locking the clasp so as to prevent its opening when it is in use, as when it is mounted on an article of apparel.

While other types of locking arrangements for dress ornaments, and in particular for clasp ornaments, have heretofore been attempted, they are usually relatively complicated, inefficient, and unreliable in operation, cumbersome, unattractive in appearance, and relatively expensive to manu facture. Many of them are further of limited utility because their locking mechanism is only operative in a few positions of the clasp and ornament members, so that the clasp may be safely applied only to materials of certain predetermined thicknesses.

It is among the objects of my invention to overcome these objections by providing a locking arrangement in a dress ornament that is simple, effective, unobtrusive, and inexpensive to manufacture.

It is further among the objects of my invention to provide a locking arrangement for a clasp ornament that will be effective for all relative positions of the clasp parts between their extreme limits of usefulness, as contradistinguished from looking mechanisms that are effective at only one or a limited number of relative positions of the clasp parts, whereby the range of effectiveness of my invention will extend to fabrics or other materials varying widely in thickness.

It is among the more particular objects of my invention to provide in a dress ornament, such as a clasp ornament, locking means in the form of a cam that may be readily moved into and out of its locking position, and which, when in looking position, will resist tendencies to displacement under conditions of normal wear. I achieve the foregoing objects, and such other objects as may hereinafter appear or be pointed 50 out, in the manner illustratively exemplified in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a rear plan view of a clasp ornament showing my invention applied thereto;

Figure 2 is an end view, on an enlarged scale, with the locking means in inactive position, that is, in a position permitting the opening of the clasp;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, showing one of the locking positions of the locking arrangement;

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view substantially on the line 44 of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a side view of Figure 1.

In the drawing, l0 indicates one of the members of a clasp ornament, while l2 indicates the other member. One of these parts, as the member l0, may be ornamentally contoured and surfaced and will hereinafter be referred to as the ornamental member; while the other member I2, which is intended to oppose the member ID in the clasping or clamping function, will hereinafter be referred to as the clasp member; and these parts are pivotally united by the arrangement about to be described, whereby they may be brought into substantially parallel superposed relation as shown in full-lines in Figure 5 or into a spread or opened relation as shown in dot-anddash lines in Figure 5.

The clasp member I2 is shown as provided with an inturned portion l4 having pintles or trunnions l6 extending therefrom. The latter are adapted to be received within orifices 28 in the upstanding or out-turned ears I8 of a bearing plate 20 that is carried by-the ornamental member 10, being fastened thereto in any suitable manner, such as soldering. These parts function as a hinge, uniting the members I2 and H1.

The parts so far described constitute a clasp ornament, the parts of which are united in hinged relation and are adapted for mounting, for example, on the edge of an article of wearing .apparel. For the purpose of securing a better grip on the fabric or other material, the clasp member l2 may be provided with means adapted to pierce or press into the fabric, such as the prongs 22.

In order to lock the two members of the clasp ornament in position after they have engaged a piece of material between them, I have shown an arrangement comprising an eccentric cam mem ber 24 rotatably mounted on a rivet 29 on the extension M of the member l2. The cam occupies an unobstrusive position against the wall of the extension M.

For convenience in manipulating the cam 24, I have shown means comprising two cars 26 projecting outwardly therefrom.

It will be observed that by turning the cam 24 about its axis, it may be caused to assume (a) a position such as indicated in Figure 2 in which its lobe portion 24' is out of engagement with the plate 2%, thereby permitting the clasp member 92 to move freely about the hinge axis, or (b) a position shown in Figure 3 in which its lobe portion 24 frictionally engages the plate 23] and thereby limits the extent to which the members i@ and 52 may be separated.

Since the cam engages the plate is on one side of the hinge as clearly appears from Figures 1 and it is obvious that movement of the member 52 is limited only in one direction by the cam. Movement of the member i2 in the other direction, however, is limited by the fabric against which the ornamental member l8 may be caused to press.

In Figure l, I have indicated th locking position of the cam 2 t, such as it might assume when the clasp members HQ and i2 are in faceto-face relationship, as shown. It can readily be seen that the free movement of the members [0 and E2 in one direction is prevented either by engagement ti ereoi' with the fabric or with each other, while the cam prevents movement in the other direction.

It will be understood that the locking position in Figure 3 is only one of many positions in which the locking function may be effected by the cam M, which may be moved into all intermediate positions between those shown in Figures 2 and 3 and also beyond those shown in Figure 3, and may perform this locking function in any of these positions. The exact position of the cam while performing its locking function depends on the conformation of the clasp members and the dimensions and configurations of the parts that they embrace. It will be observed that in the locking position shown by way of example in Figure 3, the ears 26 are at approximately right angles to their position as shown in Figure 2, in which latter position the cam performs no locking function.

It will be seen that one of the outstanding advantages of a clasp constructed according to my invention is that the locking function may take place in a large number of relative positions of the ornamental and the clasping portions, so that it is adaptable for use on fabrics or other materials of a thickness varying between wide limits, instead of being restricted, as many such devices are, to a few locking positions, whereby such a device attains its maximum effectiveness only on material of predetermined thickness.

It will be understood further that by proper design, the pitch of the cam surface may be so proportioned that there will be sufiicient friction between the contacting parts to prevent any possibility of the cam moving as a result of pressure of the member l2 against it. This result may be secured by making the cam 2 of circular contour, as illustrated, although it will be under-- stood that I do not necessarily restrict myself to such circular contour.

In general, it will be understood that changes in the details, herein described and illustrated for the purpose of explaining the nature of my invention, may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims. It is, therefore, intended that these details be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, and illustrated its use, that which I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. A clasp ornament comprising a pair of clasp members pivotally connected together at one end, one of said members having an inturned portion, and an eccentric cam member journaled on said inturned portion for turning movement in a plane approximately at right angles to said clasp member, said eccentric cam member having the lobe portion thereof movable into posi tion for wedging bearing action against the other clasp member and to hold the clasp members against relative separation.

2. A clasp ornament comprising a pair of clasp members, one having a bearing plate secured thereto and provided with outturned ears, the other clasp member having trunnions at oppcsite sides thereof journaled in said ears for pivotally connecting the members together, the lastmentioned clasp member having an inturned portion, and an eccentric cam member journalcd on said inturned portion for turning movement in a plane approximately at right angles to said clasp members, said eccentric cam member having the lobe portion thereof movable into wedg ing engagement with the bearing plate to hold the clasp members against relative separation.

ROBERT MANTZ. 

